Rosenior is not your answer believe me...i was over the moon when he got sacked,awful style of play especially at home,it was so boring it would have sent a glass eye to sleep
Wagner gone
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Sounds like Wagner at times!
I don't think Wagner was awful, but there were times you could tell the tactics were wrong or the player attitude seemed off and you knew it was going to be one of those days
wow - I am shocked by the comments from the Hull visitors. I never paid a great deal of attention Hull City (i.e. I never watched any of their games) but from all the media, LR was the next messiah, or so it seemed. Nice to get some alternative opinions from those who actually watch and care about their team, though they do give cause for concern if he is mentioned as being in line to take over from DW.
Current rumours are focusing on advanced talks with a manager from abroad. This is from FLW:
"However, it looks like Norwich have turned their attention elsewhere, with Football Insider claiming that an overseas manager is "firmly on their radar". The manager, who has not been named, "would require a work permit" before he can take over at Carrow Road, but talks are believed to be progressing."
"However, it looks like Norwich have turned their attention elsewhere, with Football Insider claiming that an overseas manager is "firmly on their radar". The manager, who has not been named, "would require a work permit" before he can take over at Carrow Road, but talks are believed to be progressing."
Will Still being quite heavily mentioned with existing links to Knapper and the bonus that he currently unemployed after leaving Reims by mutual consent a few weeks ago and stating he’d like to mange in England next
Has anyone read anything about Still's style of football, or seen it in action at Rheims? There's plenty about him out there, but nothing about how his teams play. Maybe 1950Canary has seen them?
This is from Sky Sports. It doesn't reveal much about his tactics but his attitude is refreshing:
"Something I want to be able to do is to renew myself and stay up to date with the latest ways of playing, the latest ways of communication, the latest animating drills and setting new exercises in training. I definitely hope I'll be a better coach in five to 10 years. I'd pay to be out there, honestly. If someone gave me the opportunity, I'd ask how much they wanted me to pay to give a training session. I still enjoy putting the mannequins in and I still enjoy determining how big the pitch is going to be and setting things out because, to me, there's nothing better, as a player, than walking out onto the pitch and seeing the pitch ready. I get a proper buzz out of giving training. I used to enjoy training as a player myself, not that I reached the highest level at all. I now really enjoy pushing other people and setting drills out that make them think a bit. On the pitch is where I feel best."
I haven't seen many indications that link him to Knapper though. He was born in Belgium to English parents, but there's no mention of UK citizenship, so might the 'needs a work permit' apply to him?
"Something I want to be able to do is to renew myself and stay up to date with the latest ways of playing, the latest ways of communication, the latest animating drills and setting new exercises in training. I definitely hope I'll be a better coach in five to 10 years. I'd pay to be out there, honestly. If someone gave me the opportunity, I'd ask how much they wanted me to pay to give a training session. I still enjoy putting the mannequins in and I still enjoy determining how big the pitch is going to be and setting things out because, to me, there's nothing better, as a player, than walking out onto the pitch and seeing the pitch ready. I get a proper buzz out of giving training. I used to enjoy training as a player myself, not that I reached the highest level at all. I now really enjoy pushing other people and setting drills out that make them think a bit. On the pitch is where I feel best."
I haven't seen many indications that link him to Knapper though. He was born in Belgium to English parents, but there's no mention of UK citizenship, so might the 'needs a work permit' apply to him?
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I think the "link" to Knapper is Balogun. Knapper arranged the Arsenal youngster's season-long loan at Rheims, which proved a great move for both parties. Still has been effusive in his praise of Balogun. The Pink'Un have, I believe, confirmed that Still would indeed need to obtain a work permit.
Yes that’s the link I’ve heard and apparently he stayed with Will Still whenever he went over to check in on Balogun so presumably they got on fairly well
The below is taken from a Reddit post so I can’t say how accurate it is,
A lot of people will be aware of the rapid rise of William Still. The 30-year-old is the youngest head coach in Ligue 1 history and has caused a storm since taking over at Stade de Reims in October 2022. Will cites Football Manager as a major part of his football education and led the team to a long unbeaten run, including two games against PSG.
In this article, I’ll take a look at the main principles of Still’s Stade de Reims tactics and attempt to implement them in Football Manager 2023.
FORMATION
Like a lot of teams, Stade de Reims use a 4-2-3-1 formation. What sets it apart, though, isn’t exotic positions or complex player instructions, but instead a sound tactical structure and a squad of players who clearly buy into what William Still is trying to achieve.
Let’s take a look at how the system works both in and out of possession.
IN POSSESSION
Normally, smaller-budget teams are quite conservative when it comes to attacking the opposition. Careful to not commit too many players forward to avoid being caught out of position and punished on the counter attacks. That’s not the case though with Stade de Reims under Will Still. Refreshingly, each touch seems to be positive, with the intent of causing problems for the opposition.
In the final third, the system, which is quite rigid defensively, springs into life and becomes more fluid, with lots of player movement. The defensive midfielders hold position, rarely entering the box, while the central attacking midfielder becomes a second striker, aggressively attacking the area.
On the flanks, the fullbacks push up to stretch the opposition's defence and they regularly interchange positions with the wide attacking midfielders. The space created by the width leaves underlapping opportunities in the space between the opposition fullbacks and central defenders.
One of the main improvements Stade de Reims have seen since Still took over is the number of shots taken from inside the penalty area. They aren’t just shooting on sight though. With the opportunity to make the extra pass being taken regularly, the xG per shot has also seen an increase.
Build up
When the ball is with the goalkeeper, Stade de Reims tend to line up in more of a 4-1-2-3 formation. This is achieved by one of the defensive midfielders pushing higher up, whilst the wide attacking midfielders push up high, in line with the striker.
If facing heavy press, this gives good numbers upfield to win the first or second ball, should the goalkeeper or a central defender choose to bypass the pressure with a long ball.
On the other hand, if they choose to try to play through the press, smart movement by the central midfielders pulls the opposition out of position, creating room for the wide attacking players to move into and receive the ball.
If not being pressed, Stade de Reims are happy to play out of defence, through the central defenders. They’re neither a short passing team, nor are they a long ball side. Each pass is focussed on getting the ball forward and they take whichever option presents itself for the good of the team.
One player who stands out for me is right Attacking Midfielder, Junya Ito. The Japanese international is a constant threat and his position is forever changing. One minute he’s hugging the touchline like a traditional winger, the next he’s central and bursting ahead of the striker like an attacking inside forward or shadow striker. Recreating his impact is something I’ll look to achieve.
OUT OF POSSESSION
My favourite thing about this Stade de Reims team is the way they play when out of possession. Upon losing possession, Stade de Reims forward players aggressively counter-press.
This counter-pressing has three purposes:
1 – to win the ball back in a dangerous position
2 – force a long pass which can be intercepted
3 – to slow down the opponent’s attack, allowing the defensive players to get into position.
If this counter-press isn’t successful, and in general out of possession play, the 4-2-3-1 transforms into a compact 4-4-2. By using the striker and central attacking midfielder to cut off passing lanes into midfield, the opposition are forced to move the ball wide. Once there, the 4-4-2 makes the flanks difficult to progress down and Stade de Reims can look to win back the ball.
The mid-block the team falls into means there’s little space between the lines for opposition to play and find time on the ball. Two defensive midfielders doggedly protect the defence, whilst hard-working wide Attacking Midfielders drop deep to form a bank of four.
The counter-press isn’t the only area they’re aggressive in. They’re certainly not shy about getting stuck in, with the team ranking 1st for the combined number of tackles and interceptions in Ligue 1. Their commitment to win the ball back is further evidenced by having the 3rd most yellow cards and 2nd most red cards.
Note – Still’s determination to cut off passes into the centre of the park can possibly be seen by him using a natural defensive midfielder, Munetsi, in the AMC role. The defensive awareness, positioning and ball-winning abilities also helps with the counter-press.
A lot of people will be aware of the rapid rise of William Still. The 30-year-old is the youngest head coach in Ligue 1 history and has caused a storm since taking over at Stade de Reims in October 2022. Will cites Football Manager as a major part of his football education and led the team to a long unbeaten run, including two games against PSG.
In this article, I’ll take a look at the main principles of Still’s Stade de Reims tactics and attempt to implement them in Football Manager 2023.
FORMATION
Like a lot of teams, Stade de Reims use a 4-2-3-1 formation. What sets it apart, though, isn’t exotic positions or complex player instructions, but instead a sound tactical structure and a squad of players who clearly buy into what William Still is trying to achieve.
Let’s take a look at how the system works both in and out of possession.
IN POSSESSION
Normally, smaller-budget teams are quite conservative when it comes to attacking the opposition. Careful to not commit too many players forward to avoid being caught out of position and punished on the counter attacks. That’s not the case though with Stade de Reims under Will Still. Refreshingly, each touch seems to be positive, with the intent of causing problems for the opposition.
In the final third, the system, which is quite rigid defensively, springs into life and becomes more fluid, with lots of player movement. The defensive midfielders hold position, rarely entering the box, while the central attacking midfielder becomes a second striker, aggressively attacking the area.
On the flanks, the fullbacks push up to stretch the opposition's defence and they regularly interchange positions with the wide attacking midfielders. The space created by the width leaves underlapping opportunities in the space between the opposition fullbacks and central defenders.
One of the main improvements Stade de Reims have seen since Still took over is the number of shots taken from inside the penalty area. They aren’t just shooting on sight though. With the opportunity to make the extra pass being taken regularly, the xG per shot has also seen an increase.
Build up
When the ball is with the goalkeeper, Stade de Reims tend to line up in more of a 4-1-2-3 formation. This is achieved by one of the defensive midfielders pushing higher up, whilst the wide attacking midfielders push up high, in line with the striker.
If facing heavy press, this gives good numbers upfield to win the first or second ball, should the goalkeeper or a central defender choose to bypass the pressure with a long ball.
On the other hand, if they choose to try to play through the press, smart movement by the central midfielders pulls the opposition out of position, creating room for the wide attacking players to move into and receive the ball.
If not being pressed, Stade de Reims are happy to play out of defence, through the central defenders. They’re neither a short passing team, nor are they a long ball side. Each pass is focussed on getting the ball forward and they take whichever option presents itself for the good of the team.
One player who stands out for me is right Attacking Midfielder, Junya Ito. The Japanese international is a constant threat and his position is forever changing. One minute he’s hugging the touchline like a traditional winger, the next he’s central and bursting ahead of the striker like an attacking inside forward or shadow striker. Recreating his impact is something I’ll look to achieve.
OUT OF POSSESSION
My favourite thing about this Stade de Reims team is the way they play when out of possession. Upon losing possession, Stade de Reims forward players aggressively counter-press.
This counter-pressing has three purposes:
1 – to win the ball back in a dangerous position
2 – force a long pass which can be intercepted
3 – to slow down the opponent’s attack, allowing the defensive players to get into position.
If this counter-press isn’t successful, and in general out of possession play, the 4-2-3-1 transforms into a compact 4-4-2. By using the striker and central attacking midfielder to cut off passing lanes into midfield, the opposition are forced to move the ball wide. Once there, the 4-4-2 makes the flanks difficult to progress down and Stade de Reims can look to win back the ball.
The mid-block the team falls into means there’s little space between the lines for opposition to play and find time on the ball. Two defensive midfielders doggedly protect the defence, whilst hard-working wide Attacking Midfielders drop deep to form a bank of four.
The counter-press isn’t the only area they’re aggressive in. They’re certainly not shy about getting stuck in, with the team ranking 1st for the combined number of tackles and interceptions in Ligue 1. Their commitment to win the ball back is further evidenced by having the 3rd most yellow cards and 2nd most red cards.
Note – Still’s determination to cut off passes into the centre of the park can possibly be seen by him using a natural defensive midfielder, Munetsi, in the AMC role. The defensive awareness, positioning and ball-winning abilities also helps with the counter-press.
I saw them when they came here last December and we beat them 2-1. Nothing really sticks in my mind apart from the colour of Still's hair but his team had a good reputation for being well organised and whilst his name did not spring to mind I would have thought he would be a good choice. Nobody seems to know why he left in a hurry but nothing untoward has ever been suggested. Another advantage is that he knows the French League very well and there are a lot of good youngsters over here who wouldn't cost a lot and would jump at the chance to play in England. Don't be put off by Pierre - I did warn you what you were getting and to this day I cannot work out why you wanted him in the first place. With English parents language is not a barrier.
Thanks Suffolk. That led me to another video where Still discusses his tactics in his first big game as Reims manager -- which just happened to be against PSG 
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With the story that we are in advanced talks with a foreign manager it now seems that Still fits into this category. What's the odds?
Current odds, for what they're worth:
Cuesta 5/4
Still 2/1
Rosenior 6/1
Cooper 8/1
The coverage by journos and bloggers has focused on the more familiar candidates but Still has jumped with the 'foreign coach' rumour. Still is the only one that fits there, so the shift has focused. It will be interesting to see if the odds change now.
Cuesta 5/4
Still 2/1
Rosenior 6/1
Cooper 8/1
The coverage by journos and bloggers has focused on the more familiar candidates but Still has jumped with the 'foreign coach' rumour. Still is the only one that fits there, so the shift has focused. It will be interesting to see if the odds change now.
Cuesta is also a 'foreign coach's but already has a work permit, or would that need to be renewed if he moves jobs?
Work permits need to be renewed after 5 years, but needing a work permit would be a different thing. For Still to get a work permit, an exception might have to be applied for as he lacks the 3 consecutive years managing at the top level. This would almost certainly be granted though, given his two years at Reims and previous experience in Belgium.The same would apply for Johannes Hoff Thorup, another possibility being mentioned.
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A friend of mine gets and keeps programmes and I just went round and looked at the programme for the game last December and Still has a lot of connection with England. Both parents are English and he seems to have completed his education at an English College where he was also an assistant youth coach at PNE. As somebody who discovered that being born, educated and resided in the UK for 70 years was no longer enough to retain UK Citizenship following Brexit it is possibly daft to suggest that he might be able claim it if he moved to work here but worth a thought.